Category Archives: Education

Attorneys from Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh Attend The Manasota Trial Lawyers Board CLE Seminar

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Managing partners from the personal injury law firm Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh participated in the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board Diner and CLE seminar.

Several members of civil trial law firm Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh took part in the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board Diner and CLE Seminar.

Held at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch Florida, the event featured a CLE accredited seminar that focused on accident reconstruction entitled "How to Effectively Work With Accident Reconstruction to Better Present Your Clients' Case." Given by guest speakers Rick Swope of Swope econstruction Corporation and Brian Pfeifer of BEC Consulting, the seminar informed the audience on how utilize the latest methods of accident reconstruction to better represent clients in personal injury lawsuits.

The event drew attorneys and legal professionals from law firms around west central and southwest Florida, including several managing partners from Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh. In attendance were Manasota Trial Lawyers Board founder Bernard F. Walsh of the Bradenton office of Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh, M. David Shapiro founding partner of Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh, and Stephan Fernandez from the Sarasota Office of Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh.

Attendees of the seminar earned 2 CLE (continuing legal education) credits. Florida attorneys are required by the Florida Bar Association to earn 33 CLE credits over three years to remain a member in good standing.

In addition to the seminar an open forum discussion panel took place allowing for attendees to delve deeper into to topic of using accident reconstruction methods and technology during personal injury cases.

After the seminar, the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board hosted a diner and social mixer in an effort to promote networking and collaboration between attorneys.

Attorney David Shapiro had this to say about the event, "While Florida has a variety of legal industry organizations such as the Florida Justice Association, the Manasota Trial Lawyers, helps to give more voice and influence from the local Sarasota-Bradenton area."

Attorney Stephen Fernandez commented, "With so many aspects of personal injury law important, events like the MTLB's seminar or the FJA's workhorse seminar give attorneys the opportunity to enhance knowledge on a wide variety of topics and be exposed to the latest tools and techniques that would be more difficult otherwise. It's heartening to see so many attorneys take advantage of the event and become better prepared to represent their clients."

Attorney Bernard Walsh added, "As a founder of the MTLB I am happy to see my fellow partners participate. It's great to see so many of the area's attorneys come together in a cooperative fashion to help strengthen the Florida justice system."

About Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh:

The lawyers of Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh have more than 100 years of combined Florida legal experience in personal injury, wrongful death and other negligence cases.

Our partners have handled more than 10,000 non-fatal and fatal personal injury cases, where death or brain, head, neck, back, spinal cord, shoulder and knee injuries have resulted from car, truck, motorcycle or boat accidents.

Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh
308 Cocoanut Ave, Sarasota FL, 34236
Local: 941-954-4000

More information: http://www.GetMeJustice.com/.

Managing partners from the personal injury law firm Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh participated in the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board Diner and CLE seminar. Held at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch Florida, the event featured a CLE accredited seminar that focused on accident reconstruction entitled "How to Effectively Work With Accident Reconstruction to Better Present Your Clients' Case."

Partnership with Energy Optimizers, USA, nets Graham Local Schools more than $400,000 savings in utilities over three-year period

TIPP CITY, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- Just three years after contracting with Energy Optimizers, USA, on a project to reduce energy usage and save taxpayer dollars, Graham Local Schools has far exceeded initial projections for energy savings.

The district expected to save $81,885 on utility costs per year over three years, for a total of $245,655. Actual savings over that period are $409,681. Electric consumption was reduced by 32.4 percent and gas consumption is down by 24.2 percent. The savings are normalized, or adjusted to account for outliers in weather conditions and costs.

"We knew going into this project that it was the right thing to do in terms of conserving both energy and taxpayer dollars," said Don Burley, Director of Operations for Graham Local Schools. "But we are floored by just how much we've been able to save. Better yet, the project has just about paid for itself in terms of savings. What better way to meet the needs of students than ensuring we are directing this money to the classrooms rather than the utility companies."

Completed in 2012, the $574,130 project included:
* Replacement of interior lighting with more energy-efficient lamps.
* Installation of exterior lighting controls to reduce wasted electricity.
* Installation of advanced energy management programming and HVAC controls to improve energy conservation.
* Upgrades to the water and air filtration systems.
* Installation of smart exhaust hoods on kitchen units.

The majority of the work was funded through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission's House Bill 264 program, enabling the district to make these cost-cutting improvements at no additional expense to taxpayers while ensuring the guaranteed savings of the project are met or exceeded.

"Districts like Graham Local Schools are the reason why I founded Energy Optimizers, USA," said Greg Smith, president and CEO of Energy Optimizers, USA. "The administrative team and Board set out to do what's best for their students, their taxpayers and the environment. With a relatively small investment, they will see cost-reduction benefits for years to come. The results speak for themselves, and the entire community can be proud of the district's leadership."

About Energy Optimizers, USA:

Energy Optimizers, USA works with educational, governmental, commercial and industrial customers to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and energy education programs. The company was named to the INC. Magazine Top 500 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. (2014), was named the Fastest Growing Company in the region for two consecutive years by the Dayton Business Journal (2013, 2014), and was named a finalist in the Dayton Business Journal Best Places To Work competition in 2016.

To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Just three years after contracting with Energy Optimizers, USA, on a project to reduce energy usage and save taxpayer dollars, Graham Local Schools has far exceeded initial projections for energy savings.

Revenue Cycle and Coding Strategies Merge to Expand Healthcare Consulting Services

AUSTIN, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Medical and radiation oncology consulting firm Revenue Cycle and healthcare coding and compliance consulting and education firm Coding Strategies announce a merger that will bring the two companies together for the benefit of the healthcare industry.

Founded in 1998 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, Coding Strategies provides consulting expertise and educational tools for the healthcare industry. Like Revenue Cycle, it offers services to physicians, administrators, coders, and other industry stakeholders. Coding Strategies' educational products include customized training, self-paced online training, webinars, and seminars.

Revenue Cycle specializes in the business aspects of medical and radiation oncology, including operations and oncology coding and reimbursement. Its team of medical and radiation oncology experts consults on oncology reimbursement, compliance, and business operations for everything from single physician offices to large multi-site systems.

"Since I co-founded the company almost 20 years ago, Coding Strategies has been dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals," said president Melody W. Mulaik. "Our nationally certified consultants, along with our comprehensive selection of training options, help our clients protect the financial health of their business, stay compliant, and find solutions to their toughest challenges." Ms. Mulaik will serve as the president of the combined companies.

"Our alliance with Coding Strategies is a perfect fit," stated Ron DiGiaimo, CEO of Revenue Cycle. "Coding Strategies will add even more depth to our service offerings. Their expertise and educational services align with those we already have in place, and their track record of success speaks for itself." Mr. DiGiaimo will now serve as the Chairman of the Board for Coding Strategies and CEO of the combined companies.

The Revenue Cycle family of companies now includes RC Billing, The Oncology Group and Coding Strategies.

For more information, visit: https://www.revenuecycleinc.com/ and http://www.codingstrategies.com/.

For more information, contact:
Melody W. Mulaik, President
Coding Strategies & Revenue Cycle
melody.mulaik@codingstrategies.com
P: 877-626-3464

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0301s2p-rev-coding-300dpi.jpg

Medical and radiation oncology consulting firm Revenue Cycle and healthcare coding and compliance consulting and education firm Coding Strategies announce a merger that will bring the two companies together for the benefit of the healthcare industry.

New Tech Advisory Board Helps Launch Career Academy Program in Rural Iowa

OSCEOLA, Iowa /ScoopCloud/ -- 2017 marks the inaugural year for the Clarke Community Schools Career Academy program in the rural town of Osceola, Iowa. School administration, instructors, and local businesses have set forth a program focused on helping local students build a deeper understanding of how their education is integrated into future career options as well as learning the skills needed for trades available outside "traditional" secondary education tracks.

Education trends and academic planning have evolved a great deal throughout the past decade. With funding for Iowa public schools becoming more limited* (*note:1) and costs for student administration continually on the rise, manipulating the models in which schools can best affect the learning for each student has forced participants to innovate and grow or suffer. Programs implemented throughout the 90's and 2000's have shown to be less effective* (*note:2) on student preparation, and for smaller communities like Osceola, this comes as a particularly tough challenge.

These types of programs continue to force school administrators as well as teachers and parents to find alternative answers to educating their students by moving student and curriculum focus from rote test score achievement and class rankings to a more "hands-on" approach, offering career-focused programming for students from kindergarten through high school.

"While we understand testing is an integral part of benchmarking and measuring progress for our students and faculty, it can't be the sole curriculum focus for a learning child," explained Steve Seid, Clarke Community Schools' (CCS) Superintendent. "Creating a better understanding of how specific coursework is applied in real-world scenarios builds on the achievement of the students, encouraging a deeper engagement and commitment to a future-focused perspective."

A policy research study performed by the National Council of Teachers of English* (*note:3) found results of standardized or high-stakes testing not only affects the nature of how instructors administer course information, but also narrows curriculum and limits student learning. Much of the information in the study led researchers to suggest policy changes that include diversifying assessments for student achievement as well as helping the students understand how the testing functions in determining future successes and opportunities.

"That's where our Career Academy really hits," said Jean Bahls, CCS Curriculum Director, "We realize not all kids will be college-bound. Some see that financially and logistically impossible. But through this Career Academy, students can discover a broader world beyond the halls of Clarke Community Schools and have the opportunity to prepare for it."

Local businesses and associations have answered the call for support of the Clarke Community Schools Career Academy. With connections fostered through Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC), the administration and Mr. Dave Lydon, the Industrial Tech Courses Instructor, an Industrial Tech Advisory Board - the first of such advisory boards planned for the Career Academy program - has been assembled to start the development of a system for helping students prepare for careers in the industrial sector. With that, the board will also work with the school, administrators, and instructors on procuring modern equipment and teaching the skills needed to be successful in the trades.

"With the District taking on all the challenges associated with the Career Academy, the CCDC wanted to facilitate ongoing communication between the business community and the District Staff," said Bill Trickey, Executive Director of the CCDC. "As we reached out to the business community for membership in this first Advisory Board, we found a real willingness to participate in this very important process."

Clarke Schools' Career Academy Industrial Tech Advisory Board members are:
* Susan Miller - Altec, Inc. (www.Altec.com).
* Dave Opie - Clarke Electric Cooperative (www.cecnet.net).
* Jason A Gibbs - Clarke Electric Cooperative (www.cecnet.net).
* Joe Greving - Iowa Steel (www. IowaSteelFabrication.com).
* Dan Zielke - Hormel Foods (www.HormelFoods.com).
* Kerry Richardson - Miller Products, Co. (www. MillerProductsCo.com).
* James Rawson - Paul Mueller Company (www.PaulMueller.com).
* Tom Kober - Salford Group (www.SalfordGroup.com).
* Doug Hamilton - Simco Drilling Equipment, Inc. (www.SimcoDrill.com).
* Dave Lyden - Clarke Community Schools (www.clarke.k12.ia.us).
* Jean Bahls - Clarke Community Schools (www.clarke.k12.ia.us).
* William Trickey - CCDC (www.clarkecountyiowa.com).

As members of the Clarke Community Schools Industrial Tech Advisory Board, their input, support, and experience will help Clarke Community Schools facilitate and foster a deeper understanding of future career options and skills for trades available outside secondary education. The success of the Career Academy program hinges on full, community-wide engagement and support. With school administrators, staff, and students on board as well as a diversified group of local Osceola and Southern Iowa businesses lending their knowledge and expertise, the future of the program looks bright and poised for growth.

If you would like more information on the Clarke Community Schools Career Academy program or have questions or comments, please contact Steve Seid, Superintendent, or Jean Bahls, Curriculum Director for Clarke Community Schools at 800 N Jackson St. Osceola, IA, 50312 or call (641) 342-6505.

1: Des Moines Register, "After Contentious Words, Iowa State Senate Passes 1.1 Percent K-12 School Aid Increase" - http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/02/after-contentious-words-iowa-senate-passes-11-percent-k-12-school-aid-increase/97384150/

2: National Education Association, "Parents and Educators to Lawmakers: Testing is Not Learning!" - http://neatoday.org/2015/03/12/parents-educators-lawmakers-testing-not-learning/

3: National Council of Teachers of English. "How Standardized Tests Shape - and limit - Student Learning" [PDF-STUDY] http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/CC/0242-nov2014/CC0242PolicyStandardized.pdf {http://www.ncte.org/}

2017 marks the inaugural year for the Clarke Community Schools Career Academy program in the rural town of Osceola, Iowa. School administration, instructors, and local businesses have set forth a program focused on helping local students build a deeper understanding of how their education is integrated into future career options as well as learning the skills needed for trades available outside "traditional" secondary education tracks.

Marion Gatley Institute Opens Its Doors to all Who Want to Learn a New Language

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Marion Gatley Institute has just opened to provide services and classes for people that want to learn another language, but haven't been able to do so prior. We provide a flexible class schedule in which can bend to your personal life and daily obligations.

Offering instruction on many languages from Mandarin to Italian, from Portuguese to Arabic. Whatever reason you'd like to learn another language, it is undeniably helpful in many ways. Strengthening cognitive ability, memory, deductive reasoning, learning a new language is a vast well of mental and personal benefits. It can help boost confidence, and strengthen your skills in English.

"By providing peer dialogue and helpful instructors, we aim to cater to these benefits while ensuring that you have the practical ability and resources to accomplish whatever the goal of learning another language," said Marion Gatley employee Bill Smith. "We will prep you for moving to a country, teach you key phrases for a vacation, or simply cultivate your desire to learn a new language for no other reason than personal enjoyment."

There is simply no downside to learning a language, and now Marion Gatley Institute is able to offer a plethora of classes that facilitate your endeavors. Classes are built and designed around our students, and our small sizes allow us to focus on each student individually while cultivating much-needed conversation and practice back-and-forth between students.

The benefits of attending classes in person and speaking, responding, and practicing with others is invaluable. You will learn the language must faster if you are constantly tested in conversation and prompted to write in the language you are learning.

Marion Gatley Institute is special because we host classes at all times of day. Whether your work schedule demands that you attend classes at night, or if night classes at a college have you pursuing a language during the day, you will be able to find the class you need at the time that works for you.

Discovering a new culture, perspective, and customs through language will only benefit you in the long-run. If you are on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge and learn a language, it doesn't need to be excruciating work. On the contrary, learning another language is extremely fun and fulfilling.

Marion Gatley Institute offers a variety of locations in order to make it simple for you to come to learn a language where it is convenient for you. You will not have to travel far and take time out of your busy life, Marion Gatley makes it easy for all of our clients in every way we can.

We also accommodate to a changing schedule. You can attend any of our schedule classes for the language you wish to learn so you don't have to worry about a consistent class. This also takes out the routine of classes and makes the act of learning a new language enjoyable and without stress.

The door is now open to you, come learn at language in the helpful classes of our linguist instructors. We are accessible, reasonably priced, and extremely well-versed in teaching people the joy of learning a new language!

Visit https://www.mariongatleyinstitute.org/ for more information.

Marion Gatley Institute has just opened to provide services and classes for people that want to learn another language, but haven't been able to do so prior. We provide a flexible class schedule in which can bend to your personal life and daily obligations.

Attorney Bernard Walsh Speaks at National Trial Lawyers Summit on Trucking Accident Representation

MIAMI, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Bernard F. Walsh, Esq., from the Bradenton office of personal injury law firm Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh, spoke at the 2017 Trial Lawyers Summit about trucking accident representation for plaintiffs.

Billed as "the number one conference of the year," the Trial Lawyers Summit draws top civil trial plaintiff's attorneys and criminal defense attorneys from around the nation. Attorney Bernard Walsh was selected as a speaker during the event, and gave a seminar entitled "How An Attorney Works - A Trucking Case: The A to Z Basics."

Bernard Walsh has accumulated years of experience working on trucking accident recoveries, and the seminar offered critical information for attorneys considering offering representation for trucking accident victims. Outlining ways a trucking accident case differs from an auto accident case, the seminar also alerted attorneys that trucking accident representation is demanding in both financial and time resources for the plaintiff's attorney, requiring serious commitment.

Held at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel Miami Florida, the Trial Lawyers Summit boasted a lineup of more than 60 speakers made up of the nation's most experienced attorneys and legal industry professionals. An accredited CLE (Continuing Legal Education) event, attendees had the opportunity to earn a years worth of CLE credits as required by the Florida Bar Association.

Featured guest speakers at the event included four-time super bowl champion quarterback Joe Montana, National Trial Lawyers President Tom Girardi and President-Elect Christian Searcy. Entertainment was provided by Don Felder, former lead guitarist of The Eagles.

Attorney Bernard Walsh offered this comment about the National Trial Lawyers Summit, "In an environment where lobbyists and representatives from the powerful insurance industry continuously work to influence state legislatures around the United States to change laws in their favor, it is essential that attorneys and members of the civil justice system remain vigilant and committed to defending the rights of the people. By bringing together member attorneys from law firms around the country at the National Trial Lawyers Summit, we can better share ideas and experiences in an effort to improve courtroom skills and increase awareness to better maintain a strong legal system for all citizens."

About Attorney Bernard Walsh:
Bernard Walsh is an active member in multiple legal organizations including the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, member of the Florida Justice Association Board of Governors, the National Trial Lawyers Association and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

A partner at the Personal Injury law firm of Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez and Walsh; Bernard Walsh has won one of Florida's largest motorcycle accident recoveries and has an AV Preeminent(R) rating on Martindale-Hubbell(R), and is a Superb rated attorney with Avvo.com.

Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh
5291 Office Park Boulevard, Bradenton FL, 34203
Local: 941-752-7200

More at: http://www.GetMejustice.com/.

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0216s2p-bwalsh-300dpi.jpg

Bernard F. Walsh, Esq., from the Bradenton office of personal injury law firm Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh, spoke at the 2017 Trial Lawyers Summit about trucking accident representation for plaintiffs. Billed as "the number one conference of the year," the Trial Lawyers Summit draws top civil trial plaintiff's attorneys and criminal defense attorneys from around the nation.

Over 270 Local High Schools Pledge to Drive Safe for a Chance to Win $10,000 Courtesy of Dick Genthe Chevrolet

DETROIT, Mich. /ScoopCloud/ -- Dick Genthe Chevrolet recently announced it was giving local Detroit high schools the chance to win $10,000 by asking parents and teens to sign the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge and obtain the most pledges; over 270 schools came aboard.

Since the start of the campaign in late December, over 1,000 teens, parents, and teachers have already pledged to support safe driving practices by take the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge. Currently in the lead, is Airport Senior High School with 288 pledges followed by Lincoln Park High School with 264 pledges as of this week. Over 270 other schools have also begun pledging to show their dedication to safe driving and to helping their school.

Parents and teens are encouraged to visit http://www.DRVSFE.com/ to learn about the dangers of distracted driving and to take the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge. As an incentive for families and school communities to get involved, Dick Genthe Chevrolet will donate $10,000 to the high school with the greatest participation through June 2, 2017.

"These days, teen drivers have more distractions than ever that increase their odds of harm on the road," said Bruce Genthe, President at Dick Genthe Chevrolet. "We think it's critical for teenagers, their parents and the community to have ongoing conversations about safe driving. We hope the Drive Safe Detroit Pledge campaign assists as a useful tool for parents to set high standards for and to place importance of safe driving practices. Ultimately, our goal through this campaign is to save lives and decrease harm done to our teenage drivers."

With the help of the Dick Genthe Chevrolet Drive Safe Teen Driver Contract, teens will better understand and more truly commit to safe driving practices. If you are a parent or teacher and would like more information about this program, please contact Cate Worley, Director of Drive Safe Detroit Teen Driver Pledge.

Program Inquiries Contact:
Cate Worley
Director, Incite St. Louis
(314) 613-7847
cworley@inciteimpact.com

Media Inquiries Contact:
Bret Johnson
Sokal Media Group
(919) 872-9410
bjohnson@sokalmediagroup.com

The Genthe family has been serving the total automotive needs of the Downriver area for almost 90 years. Dick Genthe Chevrolet began operations in 1967, being founded by Richard E. Genthe. Richard S. Genthe, President, joined the organization in 1974 and later welcomed his son Bruce into the business in 2000 and his daughter Emily in 2003. The mission statement of the dealership was developed in 1995 and it still rings true today: "It is our mission to consistently and professionally deliver more than expected value with integrity and enthusiasm as a team."

For more information on Dick Genthe Chevrolet visit http://www.Genthe.com/.

Dick Genthe Chevrolet recently announced it was giving local Detroit high schools the chance to win $10,000 by asking parents and teens to sign the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge and obtain the most pledges; over 270 schools came aboard.

Attorney Bernard Walsh Speaks to Students on ‘The Art of Communication’ at The Florida Justice Association’s Law School Outreach Reception

TAMPA, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Attorney Bernard F. Walsh gave a seminar on "The Art Of Communication" during the Florida Justice Association's Law School Outreach reception at Cooley Law School.

Held at the Tampa Bay Campus of Cooley Law School located in Riverview Florida, the Florida Justice Association's (FJA) student outreach reception facilitated interaction and networking opportunities between FJA member attorneys, and Cooley Law School students and facility.

Part of a wider effort by the FJA to help prepare Florida law school students as they transition from schools to the workplace, the Law School Outreach reception aims to give the next generation of attorneys and legal professionals access to the resources and networks of the Florida Justice Association.

Moderated by Attorney Bernard F. Walsh of Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh, the reception featured seminars by guest speakers, a presentation by the Florida Justice Association, as well as an open forum style question and answer session between students and a panel of attorneys comprised of experienced lawyers from law firms around the State.

As this year's seminar centered primarily on aiding students in their efforts to locate employment with Florida law firms, Bernard F. Walsh Esq., gave a lecture entitled "The Art Of Communication."

Encouraging students to use more effective ways to communicate to achieve their goals both in and out of courtroom situations, the lecture which has been described by past participants as 'genuinely moving', includes real world examples of communication from actual cases that resulted in successful outcomes.

After the presentations students participated in an open forum discussion with panel members on selecting an area of practice, and what attorneys will be looking for in student resumes and during interviews. Members of the discussion panel included, FJA Representative John Fox, Cooley Law School Dean Kathy Gustafson, Nicola Larmond-Harvey Esq. FJA Young Lawyers Division, Dr. Santo Steven BiFulco, BiFulco Medical Group, Daniel Murphy Esq., Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh, Bernard Walsh, Esq., Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh, Cooley Law School Dean Ronald Sutton, David Hall Esq., and Kevin Gallagher, Esq.

Attorney Bernard F. Walsh offered this comment about the 2017 FJA event, "A strong and effective justice system is the foundation from which our democracy was built on. As students move from law schools such as Cooley to positions at firms in Florida and around the country, they will become an important force upholding our legal system into the future. As such, having the opportunity to offer advice to such an important influential group is a real honor. It has been a refreshing privilege to speak with students and witness first-hand the motivation, drive, energy and enthusiasm of the next generation of attorneys."

About Attorney Bernard Walsh:

A highly experienced AV rated attorney and founder of the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board, Bernard Walsh is an active member in multiple legal organizations including the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA), the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, member of the Florida Justice Association Board Of Governors, the National Trial Lawyers Association and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

Bernard Walsh is an active member of the Manatee and Sarasota Sheriff's Advisory Boards, the Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council and the One Hundred Club for Law Enforcement in Manatee.

Partner at the Personal Injury and Civil Trial Law firm of Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez and Walsh, Bernard Walsh has helped hundreds of Floridians get fair compensation for injuries. Additionally, Bernard Walsh has won one of Florida's largest motorcycle accident recoveries and has an AV Preeminent(r) rating on Martindale-Hubbell(r), a doctors and attorneys ratings website and is Superb rated attorney with Avvo.com.

Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh
5291 Office Park Boulevard, Bradenton FL, 34203
Local: 941-752-7200

More information: http://www.GetMejustice.com/.

*PHOTO Caption: Personal Injury Attorney Bernard Walsh and members of the FJA law school outreach panel at Cooley Law School.

Attorney Bernard F. Walsh gave a seminar on “The Art Of Communication” during the Florida Justice Association's Law School Outreach reception at Cooley Law School. Held at the Tampa Bay Campus of Cooley Law School located in Riverview Florida, the Florida Justice Association's (FJA) student outreach reception facilitated interaction and networking opportunities between FJA member attorneys, and Cooley Law School students and facility.

Utelogy Corporation Appoints Joey D’Angelo as V.P. of Engineering

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Utelogy Corporation, creator of audio/visual control, management, and analytics software, announces Joey D'Angelo joins the company as Vice President of Engineering. D'Angelo will help drive Utelogy's growth velocity and product feature sets as the company continues on its mission to deliver true, non-proprietary Software-Defined AV solutions that can be virtualized or leveraged on any common data center and network infrastructure.

Utelogy is experiencing wide-spread growth throughout the U.S., and now globally, in higher education, government and enterprise. D'Angelo will lead design and engineering services including pre-sales through to project completion. He will also represent the company as a thought leader in the industry.

D'Angelo comes to Utelogy with vast experience in the audio visual industry starting with world class car audio demonstration vehicles and then almost 18 years as an AV consultant with Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc. Most recently, D'Angelo was at QSC assisting end-users with system solutions.

"Joey is an incredibly well-respected global influencer in the audio visual industry and we're extremely excited to have him on board. Not only is his design expertise a true asset for our team, he'll also be a valuable addition in providing guidance to the development team," said Frank Pellkofer, Utelogy's co-founder and CEO.

"After almost two decades as a consultant and a year and a half at a leading AV manufacturer, I'm intrigued with the opportunity to be able to combine design and innovation in the AV space with Utelogy's forward-thinking customers. Utelogy's unique approach to AV affords me an opportunity to continue to design, innovate, and implement large, complex systems while maintaining a level of hardware and brand autonomy," explained D'Angelo. "Most importantly, I get to continue to do what I've found I'm best at...helping people solve their AV problems," he added.

About Utelogy Corporation:

Utelogy Corporation publishes an enterprise technology control and management platform for higher education, corporations and emergency response centers. Utelogy is a flexible, scalable software solution for control, management, and analytics of AV systems that puts the power in the hands of the user.

For more information, visit http://www.utelogy.com/.

*PHOTO for Media: 17-0124s2p-Joey-DAngelo-300dpi.jpg
*Photo Caption: Joey D'Angelo, Vice President Engineering.

Utelogy Corporation, creator of audio/visual control, management, and analytics software, announces Joey D'Angelo joins the company as Vice President of Engineering. D'Angelo will help drive Utelogy's growth velocity and product feature sets as the company continues on its mission to deliver true, non-proprietary Software-Defined AV solutions that can be virtualized or leveraged on any common data center and network infrastructure.

Campaign for Cursive Launches Annual Cursive Writing Contest in USA and Canada with March Deadlines

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The annual Cursive is Cool(R) contests are presented by the Campaign for Cursive(R), a committee of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF) on National Handwriting Day. Each year, National Handwriting Day is celebrated on Jan. 23, the date associated with the birth of John Hancock.

Following National Handwriting Day, National Handwriting Week is celebrated around the world. Legend has it that Hancock, known for his large and showy signature on the U.S. Declaration of Independence, purposely enlarged his signature so "King George can see it without his spectacles."

Campaign for Cursive(R) offers three contests: In the U.S. and in Canada (one for English writers, one for French). Grade 1-6 students have the chance to test their cursive skills. The Canada contest opened on January 11 with a deadline of March 3 and the USA contest deadline is March 17, 2017.

Exciting new writing instruments, workbooks, learning methods and accessories will be awarded to winners. Supporters of the contest include Amsterdam Printing, CursiveLogic, eeBoo, Dixon Ticonderoga, Domtar, Fahrney's Pens, Laywine's, New American Cursive Penmanship, PaperPal, Pelikan, PEN World, Staedtler, and ThinkBoard.

Contest judges are handwriting specialists and educators. Entries will be scored for legibility plus quality. Awards will be given for most creative answers. Winners will be notified in April and posted to the organization's social media channels.

Theresa Ortega, Communications Chair for AHAF, says the social media channels get a lot of traffic: "People across the globe were amazed at the entries we received last year. It's wonderful to see positive comments on social media about the great work these students are doing. The cognitive benefits of learning cursive make for a perfect partner to today's technology as children go on to higher education or enter the workforce."

"Last year entries we received entries from 13 states and this year we hope to increase the reach across the country. We love hearing from the kids about why they like to write in cursive," said Gayna Scott, Campaign for Cursive(R) chair. "Having our kids learn this lifelong skill is worth the 15 minutes a day to learn modern cursive. Research indicates that there are benefits for our children to learn cursive. Technology is important, too, one skill does not replace the other. So, have your kids enter the contest and tell us why they like to write in cursive, we think you will learn something too!"

For more information, please contact Gayna Scott, Chair of Campaign for Cursive(R) at gayna@comcast.net.

More information:
http://www.cursiveiscool.com/.

http://www.ahafhandwriting.org/sites/default/pdf/white-paper.pdf.

About the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation:

The American Handwriting Analysis Foundation is a 501-(c)6 non-profit business organization, chartered and incorporated in California. Dedicated to the advancement of the handwriting sciences, AHAF promotes education for handwriting examiners at all levels of expertise and from all schools of thought. Information: http://www.ahafhandwriting.org/.

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0120s2p-cursive-cool-300dpi.jpg

The annual Cursive is Cool(R) contests are presented by the Campaign for Cursive(R), a committee of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF) on National Handwriting Day. Each year, National Handwriting Day is celebrated on Jan. 23, the date associated with the birth of John Hancock.

Talent Runs Deep as East Coast Track Stars Head to Semi Finals After Weekend of Top Competition

BROOKLYN, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- The final preliminary meet of the nation's largest amateur female track series, the Colgate Women's Games, featured athletes from every division achieving personal best scores this weekend, as thousands of participants competed for spots in the semi-finals to be held at Pratt on Saturday, January 28, 2017.

Meet Director Cheryl Toussaint said, "Thank you to all parents and coaches for your dedication and commitment through these four preliminary meets. It is our privilege to share in the role of helping your children discover and develop their abilities. Every competitor has been a success just by participating. The talent ran very deep this year, as we saw leading champions challenged by freshman new to their divisions, and some of the most gifted athletes at every age level compete at or near record pace, including some setting the fastest times and best scores in the nation."

On Friday in the High School division, Iantha Wright of Queens won the 55 meters in 7.11; Sophia Myers won the 55 meter-hurdles in 8.28; and Philadelphia's Ariana Ruffin matched her personal best 200 meters in 25.77. New Jersey's Athing Mu made it a perfect season with another double win, placing first in the 400 meters in 59.03 and the 800 meters in 2:21.06. Kaylah Quarshie of Port Jervis, NY who has been in second place behind Shayla Sanders of Queens in the 1500 meters each week, achieved an impressive personal best 4:45.36 for the upset win. High Jump Champion and record holder My'Khiyah Williams of Brooklyn repeated her series' best jump of 5'6" to finish in first place; and in her season's best toss of 10.88m, Amy Azubuike of Brooklyn's St. Ann's School won the shot put.

On Saturday in the Mid School division, New Jersey's Lauren Princz remained undefeated in the 55 meters after a very fast personal best, 7.17; Peyton Rollins all the way from Medford, MA also ran her personal best 55 meter-hurdles, 8.43 to upset leader Tia Taylor of New Jersey who finished second in 8.46. Rollins now has at least 33 first place wins in major meets including USATF Junior Olympic Championships and AAU Regional and Nationals since her 8th birthday! Brianna Brown of the Bronx won the 200 meters in 25.99 and sat out the 400 meters where she was undefeated, leaving a position filled by Kamani Johns of Chester, PA who ran her own personal best, 59.81 for the win. In the 800 Meters, Alina LaForest also of Chester, PA enjoyed her best Colgate Games' performance of 2.19.17 for her first win of the series. LaForest is another national age division champion with 14 first place wins since her 8th birthday in 2013, including 400, 800, 1500, and 1600 meter regional and national competitions. With her season's best 1500 meters performance, 4:47.30, Lauren Heskin of Floral Park, NY remains undefeated now through two Colgate Women's Games' seasons.

On Sunday in the Elementary A division, Philadelphia's Amirah Nesmith continues to surpass her own records. This meet's near-record setting win in the 55 meters, 7.95 and first place win in the 200 meters, 30.08 are both new personal bests. Da'mira Allen of Chester, PA ran her best Colgate Games' 400 meters in 68.95, and her personal best race ever in the 800 meters in 2:34.74 for a four meet perfect season of double wins. In the Elementary B division, Philadelphia's Avery Lewis, who now holds three Colgate Women's Games records, almost made it four. Lewis finished a perfect season of double wins with a first place 55 meters in 7.65, and 200 meters race in a near record personal best 26.64. Philadelphia's Kenai Bey-English finished undefeated in her season's best 400 meters in 63.95, and Alissa Graham won the 800 meters in 2:31.56. Graham of PS44 in Brooklyn has won more than 25 regional and national championships including USATF National Youth and Junior Olympic Championships in distances from 400 meters to the mile!

From thousands of participants, some 430 top point scorers will compete in a semi-finals on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at Pratt to determine who will compete at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory, NYC on Saturday, February 18, 2017, where trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company are awarded to top place finishers in each age/grade division.

The Colgate Women's Games have produced 26 Olympians, hundreds of age/grade division champions, and countless changed lives.

Coaches, recruiters, athletes and fans can follow scores each week at http://www.colgategames.com/.

Tickets to the Armory finals are free by request at: http://www.colgategames.com/ticket-information.

PHOTOS for Media: Photos of each highlighted competitor are available online at colgategames.com/gallery.
Gallery: Top row, left to right: 1. Lauren Princz; 2. Peyton Rollins, Tia Taylor; 3. Alissa Graham.

* Season best statements are based on CWG Results.
** Personal best are based on information from Athletic.net or other results sites online.

The final preliminary meet of the nation's largest amateur female track series, the Colgate Women's Games, featured athletes from every division achieving personal best scores this weekend, as thousands of participants competed for spots in the semi-finals to be held at Pratt on Saturday, January 28, 2017.

Millbrae School District Expands Synergy Solution to Include Online Registration and Assessment

MILLBRAE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Millbrae School District (MSD) to implement the company's Synergy Online Registration and Synergy Assessment solutions, and the Inspect(R) Item Bank from Key Data Systems that works seamlessly with Synergy Assessment. MSD is located in San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area.

These modules will augment the district's current implementation of Synergy Education Platform, which includes Synergy Student Information System, Master Schedule Builder, the ParentVUE(R) and StudentVUE(R) web portals and mobile apps, and the TeacherVUE(R) Portal with gradebook. All Synergy modules are fully integrated across the platform and provide real-time information to stakeholders.

"Synergy Online Registration is going to help with accuracy and save us a lot of time," said Frank Lagomarsino, Technology Specialist for MSD. "It will help with our workflow tremendously to have parents and guardians enter the registration information online rather than having our staff input the data manually from hand-written forms. Synergy Assessment, with the Inspect Item Bank, will allow increased control and more choices than the system we previously used to manage assessment data. Furthermore, the Item Bank will help us get up and running sooner than past years. Previously, our students were taking tests on bubble sheets and teachers had to enter each student's score manually into our system. Now students will be taking assessments within the StudentVUE portal and the scores will automatically show up in their teacher's gradebook. The process will be much more streamlined as a result."

"We are pleased to provide these additional Synergy modules to Millbrae School District," said Bob Weathers, Founder & CEO of Edupoint. "With Synergy Online Registration, Synergy Assessment, and the Inspect Item Bank, Millbrae will benefit not only from the greater ease of use that comes with simplified processes, but also from the full integration that enables data to flow seamlessly and in real time between Synergy Education Platform modules from where it is entered to where it needs to go. We look forward to our continued partnership with Millbrae."

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy(R) Education Platform includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) SE, a comprehensive special education data management system. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students.

More information: http://www.Edupoint.com/.

Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Millbrae School District (MSD) to implement the company's Synergy Online Registration and Synergy Assessment solutions, and the Inspect(R) Item Bank from Key Data Systems that works seamlessly with Synergy Assessment. MSD is located in San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wintery Weather Doesn’t Chill the Pace at Third Preliminary Meet of the 43rd Annual Colgate Women’s Games

BROOKLYN, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- Pratt Institute -- Thousands of young athletes braved the cold outside while the competition heated up inside at the third preliminary meet of nation's largest amateur track series for women, the 43rd annual Colgate Women's Games. From Boston to Georgia, girls of all abilities from elementary school through college and beyond continued to improve, with many leaders now achieving nationally ranked scores.

On Friday in the High School division, Brooklyn High Jump champion My'khiyah Williams cleared 5'6" for the win. Williams holds both the Mid School record of 5'6 1/2" set in 2015, and the Elementary B record 4'9" set in 2012.

In the 55 meters, Iantha Wright of St. John's Prep in Queens ran her personal best race to take first in 7.10 just in front of Mariam Magassouba of Harry Truman in the Bronx who also ran her personal best clocking 7.12. Sophia Myers of Queens High School of Teaching continues undefeated in the 55 meter hurdles, improving a third straight week with her win in 8.22.

Philadelphia's Arianna Ruffin has shown remarkable improvement with a win in her personal best time of 25.87. Ruffin finished ninth in the 200 meters in the opening meet, then rose last week to a second place finish before this week's victory. Coach Ken Abney, who has developed dozens of young athletes into some of the nation's best young talent, has helped Ruffin grow from a naturally gifted athlete into a leading competitor.

In distance races, New Jersey's Athing Mu scored her third consecutive double win with a 59.03 performance in the 400M and 2:20.44 in the 800M; and Shayla Sanders of Young Women's Leadership school in Queens remains undefeated in the 1500 meters (4:48.71).

Meet Director Cheryl Toussaint said, "While we're proud that the Colgate Women's Games showcase leading athletes, we're even more pleased to see so many girls of all abilities discovering and improving their talents."

On Saturday in the Mid School Division, Lauren Princz of Fernwood MS in Egg Harbor Township continues to lead the 55 meters after a 7.26 finish, a repeat of her indoor track personal record. Tia Taylor remained undefeated in the 55 meter hurdles with her win in 8.41. The 8th grader from Egg Harbor Community School, N.J. is ranked the number one 13-year-old in the nation in the long jump and won two gold medals at the Junior Olympic Games in Houston this summer. Brianna Brown of Bronx Latin School, climbed back into first place with two of her best races this season, winning the 200 meters in 25.63 and 400 meters in 59.09. Marcia Ojo of Franklin Park, N.J. improved by more than 9 seconds over last week to win the 800 meters in 2:20.53 her new personal indoor record; and Lauren Heskin of Floral Park Memorial, Queens won the 1500 meters in 4:47.54.

On Sunday in the Elementary A division Philadelphia's Amirah Nesmith won the Elementary A 55 meters in 8.34, and in her best race of the season which also sets another personal best, won the 200 meters in 30.74. Da'mira Allen of Chester, Pa. continues undefeated after winning the 400 meters in 70.1 and the 800 meters in 2:36.57. In the Elementary B division, Avery Lewis won both the 55 meters (7.59) and 200 meters (27.34). Lewis, who holds Colgate Women's Games' records in both Elementary A and B divisions, continues to win in times at Pratt faster than most of her first place East Coast USATF Indoor championship competitions.

The Colgate Women's Games remain completely free as a means for all girls to develop their sense of personal achievement and self esteem in an atmosphere of friendly competition. The Colgate Games' promote the importance of continued education and provide a training ground for those who might not otherwise participate in organized sports.

Four preliminary meets and a semi-finals at Pratt Institute determine who will compete at the finals at the New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory, New York Saturday, February 18, 2017, where trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company are awarded to top place finishers in each grade division.

Hopeful young track stars, parents and coaches can follow scores and find information at http://www.colgategames.com/.

*PHOTO for Media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0109s2p-MWilliams-300dpi.jpg

*Photo Caption: Brooklyn High Jump champion My'khiyah Williams cleared 5'6" for the win in the High School division of the 43rd Annual Colgate Women's Games at Pratt Institute on Friday. Williams holds both the Mid School record of 5'6 1/2" set in 2015, and the Elementary B record 4'9" set in 2012. Four preliminary meets and a semi-finals at Pratt Institute determine who will compete at the finals at The Armory, NYC in February for trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company. Follow scores at colgategames.com.

* Photos available of each competitor highlighted at colgategames.com/gallery

Top row left to right: 1. My'Khiya Williams; 2. Iantha Wright, et al; 3. Sophia Myers et al; 4. Shayla Sanders.
Second row: 5. Lauren Princz et al; 6. Tia Taylor et al; 7. Lauren Heskin; 8.Brianna Brown; 9. Amirah Nesmith.

Thousands of young athletes braved the cold outside while the competition heated up inside at the third preliminary meet of nation's largest amateur track series for women, the 43rd annual Colgate Women's Games. From Boston to Georgia, girls of all abilities from elementary school through college and beyond continued to improve, with many leaders now achieving nationally ranked scores.

Edupoint’s StudentVUE Mobile App Named Educents Top App for Kids

MESA, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- The StudentVUE(R) Mobile app from Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been named a Top App for Kids by Educents, a parent- and teacher-directed online marketplace that shares new and innovative products designed to "get kids excited about learning."

Like Edupoint's StudentVUE web portal, the StudentVUE Mobile app works with Synergy Student Education Platform to help students stay informed and engaged with their education by providing day-to-day insight into their academic performance, school events, and classroom happenings. StudentVUE Mobile supports multiple languages for school districts serving diverse populations.

"Mobile devices are ubiquitous in students' lives these days, and having the ability to access information and resources from their teachers using a phone or tablet is appealing and engaging for K-12 students," said Rob Wilson, President and Chief Innovation Officer for Edupoint. "Our StudentVUE Mobile app provides students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom and accountable for their learning."

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement.

The fully-integrated Synergy(R) Education Platform includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) SE, a comprehensive special education data management system. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students.

More information: http://www.Edupoint.com/.

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0126-edupoint-300dpi.jpg

The StudentVUE Mobile app from Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been named a Top App for Kids by Educents, a parent- and teacher-directed online marketplace that shares new and innovative products designed to "get kids excited about learning."

The Everest Foundation is one of the only non-profits assisting to alleviate the ‘Medical Residency Bottleneck’

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Everest Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has made it its core passion to help the Graduate Medical Education community. The foundation is renowned in circles of Medical Schools, Universities and Residency Programs. The foundation, in part, assists with funding of research, personnel, edu-initiatives, and residency training slots.

In addition, the foundation assists medical school students and graduates achieve research positions, clinical training opportunities, interviews for residency positions, and residency training; vying diligently in a competitive environment.

A majority of its students and candidates come from Residents Medical, an esteemed organization in its own right. Residents Medical's students are prepared by filling these research opportunities, clinical opportunities, unaccredited residency opportunities, as an Everest Foundation Scholar, proving themselves, and on those merits achieving residency training positions.

Everest Foundation has been supporting residency training and medical schools worldwide with a holistic approach addressing the needs of each one of its recipients on an individual rather than corporate basis. Each institution and individual are assessed proactively and keep a personal relationship with the foundation.

"Each of Everest Foundation's relationships with Schools of Medicines are based on a long-term relationship, usually anywhere from a five to ten-year initiative. This is done to see measurable outcomes for the betterment of schools and students alike," says The Everest Foundation's Chair, Agata Everest.

The Everest Foundation is engaged in clinical research at various U.S. medical schools and ACGME teaching hospitals across the United States. It sponsors numerous collaborations nationally in various specialties from Internal Medicine, Physical Rehabilitative Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics and Psychiatry.

If your organization, teaching hospital, medical school, or health system is interested in an alliance with The Everest Foundation, please visit their site at http://theeverestfoundation.org/ or call 310-477-7800.

The Everest Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has made it its core passion to help the Graduate Medical Education community. The foundation is renowned in circles of Medical Schools, Universities and Residency Programs. The foundation, in part, assists with funding of research, personnel, edu-initiatives, and residency training slots.

Holodec’s Training Portal aids LEAN and Value Chain Transformation

SHAWSVILLE, Va. /ScoopCloud/ -- Holodec Office Systems LLC, an IIBA(R) corporate member, announced today their new Training Portal for LEAN and Value Chain transformation. The accredited on-line classes and certifications in IT4IT(TM), BPMN(TM) 2.0, CoBIT(R), ITIL(R), TOGAF(R), ArchiMate(R), LEAN, and Six Sigma can be purchased at https://holodecoffice.com/Terrace/ecampus.

Applying Value Chain and LEAN thinking to your operations allows you to see where your weaknesses are, where the bottlenecks are and where your greatest opportunities are to improve. A lack of training has companies falling short of LEAN goals. CIOs, PMPs and budget-conscious Millennials love the global availability and convenience of on-line LEAN training at Holodec, which is less costly than travel to classroom seminars.

Notable featured classes at Holodec include the recently launched IT4IT Reference Architecture Version 2.0, an Open Group Standard. Ms. Shirley P. Shorter, CISA, CSM, MBA/TM, and Business Analyst at Holodec, said: "In our consulting practice, we have witnessed corporations struggling to apply writer Michael Porter's Value Chain and LEAN principles to non-manufacturing IT and business workflows. The solution is the Open Group's IT4IT end-to-end Value Chain framework - the strategic approach we have been looking for!"

IT4IT allows enterprise CIOs to deploy services faster and with reduced risk and cost. A recent Gartner study suggests that an IT department using IT4IT might save between 5% and 20% of their total budget.

Borrowing from the management principles that transformed manufacturing, the IT4IT standard is based on the value chain approach, known as the IT Value Chain, and a three-level functional reference architecture encompassing four major IT value streams.

IT4IT is intended to support Agile as well as waterfall approaches, and lean Kanban process approaches, DevOps and IT service management process models. This framework underpins and enhances COBIT, ITIL, ISO, CMMI, SAFe and Agile, and relates directly to TOGAF 9 and ArchiMate.

Early adopters of IT4IT Reference Architecture can be found at The Open Group IT4IT Forum at www.opengroup.org/IT4IT.

About Holodec Office Systems LLC:

Now in its 11th year, Holodec provides Business Process Improvement consulting services and training to Fortune 500 companies and government entities.

Visit https://holodecoffice.com/Terrace/ecampus for training and certification in IT4IT and LEAN.

* GRAPHIC 4x5-inch RGB Photoshop .jpg: https://holodecoffice.com/Press_images/Open-Group-Standards.jpg

Media Contact:
Shirley P. Shorter
of Holodec Office Systems LLC
sshorter@holodecoffice.com

Holodec Office Systems LLC, an IIBA(R) corporate member, announced today their new Training Portal for LEAN and Value Chain transformation. The accredited on-line classes and certifications in IT4IT(TM), BPMN(TM) 2.0, CoBIT(R), ITIL(R), TOGAF(R), ArchiMate(R), LEAN, and Six Sigma can be purchased at the Holodec ecampus.

Synergy SIS by Edupoint Selected for Nebraska ESUCC Cooperative Purchasing Program

LA VISTA, Neb. /ScoopCloud/ -- Synergy(R) Student Information System (SIS) from Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by the Nebraska Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council (ESUCC) for inclusion in its Cooperative Purchasing program.

The ESUCC Cooperative Purchasing program provides an online Marketplace through which Nebraska school districts may purchase high quality products at a substantial savings. The program serves 17 state Educational Service Units (ESUs), which in turn service Nebraska school districts, impacting more than 300,000 students statewide.

Nebraska districts interested in Synergy SIS will be able to contact Edupoint right from the ESUCC Marketplace to request a quote, and Nebraska partner districts will receive support directly from Edupoint. Online renewals will be completed through a simple shopping cart process.

To qualify for participation in the ESUCC Cooperative Purchasing program, Edupoint responded to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued jointly by ESUCC and the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). In Tier 1 of a two-tier evaluation process, ESUCC and NDE qualified each vendor response. In Tier 2, approximately 55 representatives from school districts across the state met in Lincoln, Nebraska, to evaluate and rank the SIS solutions following presentations by the five qualifying vendors.

The major criteria considered in the Tier 2 evaluation included ability to meet minimum requirements, features supporting district level needs and workflow, ease or friendliness of use, overall district input on system as a whole, and openness and extensibility of the solution. Synergy SIS received the highest Tier 2 ranking.

"We are pleased to be part of the Nebraska ESUCC Cooperative Purchasing program," said Bob Weathers, CEO for Edupoint. "We look forward to developing lasting partnerships with school districts throughout Nebraska and providing our world class Synergy SIS to help them solve data challenges and achieve their goals."

About Edupoint Educational Systems

For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy(R) Education Platform includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) SE. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students.

More information: http://www.Edupoint.com/.

Synergy Student Information System (SIS) from Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by the Nebraska Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council (ESUCC) for inclusion in its Cooperative Purchasing program.

Dick Genthe Chevrolet Offers Local High School Chance to Win $10,000 Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge

DETROIT, Mich. /ScoopCloud/ -- Dick Genthe Chevrolet is giving local Detroit high schools the chance to win $10,000 by asking parents and teens to sign the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge and obtain the most pledges.

Parents and teens are encouraged to visit http://www.DRVSFE.com/ to learn about the dangers of distracted driving, to ask parents to communicate safe driving expectations with their young drivers, to ask kids to commit to safe driving practices, and to take the Drive Safe Detroit Pledge. As an incentive for families and school communities to get involved, start the conversation and share on social media, Dick Genthe Chevrolet will donate $10,000 to the high school with the greatest participation through June 2nd.

"These days, teen drivers have more distractions than ever that increase their odds of harm on the road," said Bruce Genthe, President at Dick Genthe Chevrolet. "We think it's critical for teenagers, their parents and the community to have ongoing conversations about safe driving. We hope the Drive Safe Detroit Pledge campaign assists as a useful tool for parents to set high standards for and to place importance of safe driving practices. Ultimately, our goal through this campaign is to save lives and decrease harm done to our teenage drivers."

With the help of the Dick Genthe Chevrolet Drive Safe Teen Driver Contract, teens will better understand and more truly commit to safe driving practices. If you are a parent or teacher and would like more information about this program, please contact Cate Worley, Director of Drive Safe Detroit Teen Driver Pledge.

About Dick Genthe Chevrolet:

The Genthe family has been serving the total automotive needs of the Downriver area for almost 90 years. Dick Genthe Chevrolet began operations in 1967, being founded by Richard E. Genthe. Richard S. Genthe, President, joined the organization in 1974 and later welcomed his son Bruce into the business in 2000 and his daughter Emily in 2003. The mission statement of the dealership was developed in 1995 and it still rings true today: "It is our mission to consistently and professionally deliver more than expected value with integrity and enthusiasm as a team."

For more information on Dick Genthe Chevrolet visit http://www.Genthe.com/.

Program Inquiries Contact:
Cate Worley
Director, Incite St. Louis
(314) 613-7847
cworley@inciteimpact.com

Media Inquiries Contact:
Bret Johnson
Sokal Media Group
(919) 872-9410
bjohnson@sokalmediagroup.com

Dick Genthe Chevrolet is giving local Detroit high schools the chance to win $10,000 by asking parents and teens to sign the Drive Safe Detroit, Teen Driver Pledge and obtain the most pledges.

Residents Medical’s Candidates Getting Interviews and Pre-Match Residency slots October through December

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- America's Medical Residency applicants are deep into the residency application season. In September, the application period opened for medical students and graduates that want to be licensed physicians and surgeons via the only path in America - Completing medical residency training, says Residents Medical.

Residents Medical's candidates are being prepared for residency by taking their USMLE Board tests, being tutored by its arsenal of renowned teachers, clinical externship, unaccredited residency positions, research and a plethora of proprietary programs.

This year nearly all Resident Medical's interview-ready candidates are being invited to multiple interviews for residency positions at esteemed residency training programs. They are being prepared for these interviews by current Associate Deans, current and/or former Program Directors, and speech pathology experts.

Residents Medical, through its affiliation with The Everest Foundation, is opening opportunities for its vetted and hardworking candidates. Since October, two of Residents Medical's candidates got offered a pre-match residency position, one of them being a highly sought after categorical position.

"For the remainder of and through the end of December, Residents Medical's candidates will be interviewing for pre-match positions which historically have parlayed into residency slots," says Agata Everest, CEO of Residents Medical.

Many of its candidates will be achieving residency through the main "Match" in March, 2017, and after that the remaining candidates will be given opportunities "post-match" to interview and obtain residency positions. In fact, this past August Residents Medical's candidates were still being offered residency positions from last year's application season before this year has opened up. Residents Medical is helping U.S. medical Graduates (IMGs), foreign medical graduates (FMGs), students and graduates throughout the world achieve their dreams of career and altruistic goals of helping humanity by being a licensed doctor. The bridge of Residency gets one there, Residents Medical is an expert at that.

About Residents Medical:

Residents Medical's main focus is clinical research and an expansion of Graduate Medical Education opportunities. Today, through a network of residency programs affiliated with top U.S. Medical Schools and Residents Medical's collaboration with The Everest Foundation, they are able to provide exclusive and premier services for medical students and graduates from all continents to prepare for residency. Whether you are a U.S. graduate, IMG or FMG, Residents Medical will evaluate your credentials and develop a unique path to residency that's right for you.

For more information, or to live chat with a counselor, visit: http://residentsmedical.com/ or call 310-444-9700; or make an appointment for an office visit.

America's Medical Residency applicants are deep into the residency application season. In September, the application period opened for medical students and graduates that want to be licensed physicians and surgeons via the only path in America - Completing medical residency training, says Residents Medical.

Trimble Local Schools to see substantial savings through energy service agreement with Energy Optimizers, USA

TIPP CITY, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- Trimble Local Schools will soon see a substantial savings in its monthly utility bills following an agreement with Energy Optimizers, USA, to overhaul all lighting and improve the district's HVAC controls.

Energy Optimizers, USA, will replace existing lighting with energy-efficient LEDs, install occupancy sensors to reduce wasted electricity and make upgrades to the HVAC systems and controls.

The estimated $787,000 project is part of a 10-year energy service agreement that is expected to reduce the district's utility costs from $290,000 annually to $74,244 annually. The district will use the savings gained through its improved energy efficiency to pay for the project over a 10-year period. The savings are guaranteed by Energy Optimizers, USA.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for our district to save costs while improving the learning environment," said Superintendent Scott Christman. "We will be able to make advanced upgrades to our classrooms that will improve the quality of lighting without having to divert capital from other projects. This is a win-win for our students and our taxpayers."

LED lighting uses an average of 60 percent less energy than the systems being replaced. Occupancy controls will further cut costs by reducing wasted electricity. The district will also save on hidden costs related to maintenance and warranty. LEDs can last up to 20 years, which translates into a measurable reduction in costs related to maintenance and equipment. Energy Optimizers, USA will service all retrofitted lighting systems for the life of the agreement, further saving the district time and money.

"Our goal is to make it easy and cost-effective for our clients to reduce their operating costs, conserve energy and improve their facilities," said Rusty Bookman, account executive for Energy Optimizers, USA. "Our lighting service agreements make it possible to immediately benefit from better lighting technology-and reduced installation and maintenance costs-without a cost to taxpayers."

About Energy Optimizers, USA

Energy Optimizers, USA works with educational, governmental, commercial and industrial customers to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and energy education programs. The company was named to the INC. Magazine Top 500 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. (2014), was named the Fastest Growing Company in the region for two consecutive years by the Dayton Business Journal (2013, 2014), and was named a finalist in the Dayton Business Journal "Best Places To Work" competition in 2016.

To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptusa.com/ or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Trimble Local Schools will soon see a substantial savings in its monthly utility bills following an agreement with Energy Optimizers, USA, to overhaul all lighting and improve the district's HVAC controls.

Grammy Winner Pitbull to Speak at Palm Beach State College’s STEAM Fundraiser

LAKE WORTH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Palm Beach State College Foundation is proud to announce that Armando Christian Perez, professionally known as "Pitbull," will be the keynote speaker for the Foundation's 2017 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) luncheon presented by Bank of America. The event will take place February 1, 2017 at 11:30am at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts' Cohen Pavilion, West Palm Beach.

"Everyone knows Pitbull is one of the most successful recording artists of our time, but what many don't realize is that he is also a leading tech innovator and arts education proponent," said event chair and nationally honored arts advocate, Yvonne Boice. "We are thrilled that he will be our speaker this year and that he will be sharing his inspiring success story that now melds so many aspects of the STEAM disciplines."

A first generation Cuban American, the young Perez, was inspired by one of his high school teachers to pursue his musical dreams. Now, he wants to make sure other children are inspired and have that same opportunity to succeed.

In 2013, Pitbull helped create the SLAM! (Sports, Leadership, Arts and Management) charter school in one of the Miami's most impoverished neighborhoods. SLAM!, which educates students in grades 6-12, now has a school in West Palm Beach that could become a direct feeder to Palm Beach State College.

Pitbull is also passionate about using and advancing technology. Besides utilizing social media to communicate with his fans and supporters, he is co-founder of eMerge Americas. This 3-year-old conference brings together high-tech firms from throughout the Americas to promote innovation and the development of disruptive technology across a myriad of industries.

In 2017, the Foundation will enter the fifth year of its STEAM initiative to impact the projected shortage of local, skilled professionals in the STEAM fields. Goals include increasing student scholarships, business partnerships, internships and other academic program enhancements to prepare more graduates for these high-wage, high-demand positions.

Sponsors of the event are: Bank of America, Modernizing Medicine, Florida Power & Light, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Tenet Florida Physician Services, The Palm Beach Post, WXEL PBS for the Palm Beaches and Alpha Media.

For ticket information:
http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/Foundation/STEAM/.

Individual tickets purchased before Dec. 15 are $175; after Dec. 15 tickets are $200.

* PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-1130s2p-Pitbull-300dpi.jpg

* PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-1130s2p-YBoice-300dpi.jpg

* PHOTO Captions: (1) Pitbull and (2) Yvonne Boice.

The Palm Beach State College Foundation is proud to announce that Armando Christian Perez, professionally known as "Pitbull," will be the keynote speaker for the Foundation's 2017 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) luncheon presented by Bank of America. The event will take place February 1, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts' Cohen Pavilion, West Palm Beach.

Washington Student Achievement Council Selects Regent Education to Automate its WASFA Process for DREAMers

FREDERICK, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has selected Regent Education's Electronic Application for State Financial Aid (e-ASFA) to automate its Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) process for all participating schools within the state of Washington. For students who are ineligible for federal financial aid due to immigration status, the WASFA provides a chance to apply for state financial aid including: State Need Grant, the College Bound Scholarship, State Work Study and the Passport to College Promise Scholarship.

"Ensuring that WASFA applicants have the same opportunity to apply for financial aid as FAFSA applicants is critically important. Regent Education's experience and their approach to project management made that happen," said Becky Thompson, Director of Student Financial Assistance at WSAC. "Thanks to Regent Education's approach to product implementation, the Washington Student Achievement Council was able to deliver an on-time and user friendly application to students."

Regent's solution was developed to provide students with a simple and straightforward online state financial aid application similar to the FAFSA. The WASFA uses the student's answers to calculate the student's EFC in accordance with the federal methodology and is kept current on an annual basis. Available for new and continuing students, the solution contains advanced skip logic to ask each student questions applicable to his/her particular situation. Upon completion of the WASFA, the student will be presented with a PDF version for his or her records. The solution also allows for e-signature by students and parents, if applicable.

Prior to WSAC's use of the e-ASFA, the council utilized a solution for which service was being discontinued in early Fall. Within the solution, a lot of manual intervention was required to download and convert files into ISIR format for schools. With Regent's e-ASFA, these issues are mitigated by limiting the amount of manual work required, an integral benefit as WSAC anticipates processing nearly 4,000 WASFAs by the end of the year. The solution is branded by WSAC and supports 66 schools across the state of Washington where applicants can choose from amongst the listed colleges.

More information about Regent Education and its e-ASFA can be found at http://www.regenteducation.com.

About the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC):

The Washington Student Achievement Council is committed to increasing educational opportunities and attainment in Washington State. The Council has three main functions:
1. Lead statewide strategic planning to increase educational attainment;
2. Administer programs that help people access and pay for college; and
3. Advocate for the economic, social, and civic benefits of higher education.

The Council has nine members. Four members represent each of Washington's major education sectors: four-year public baccalaureates, four-year private colleges, public community and technical colleges, and K-12 public schools. Five are citizen members, including one current student. To learn more, please visit http://www.wsac.wa.gov/.

About Regent:

Founded in 2006, Regent Education is a leading provider of software solutions that have revolutionized financial aid management and enrollment processes for schools using non-traditional enrollment models. Today, Regent 8, Regent's financial aid management system is the only solution that provides end-to-end automation for non-term, nonstandard term, and standard academic years. Regent Financial Planner provides students and families with financial aid estimates for the full cost of a program at an institution. Regent Review is the industry's only fully-automated verification solution.

Regent is a nationally-recognized leader in results-driven enrollment optimization and financial aid management solutions that are web-based, easy-to-use, and interoperate with any existing student information system. Regent offers cloud-based solutions that help institutions increase enrollment, improve retention, speed student processing, mitigate compliance risks, and deliver bottom-line results.

Website: http://www.regenteducation.com/.

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has selected Regent Education's Electronic Application for State Financial Aid (e-ASFA) to automate its Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) process for all participating schools within the state of Washington. For students who are ineligible for federal financial aid due to immigration status, the WASFA provides a chance to apply for state financial aid including: State Need Grant, the College Bound Scholarship, State Work Study and the Passport to College Promise Scholarship.

Ali Cultural Arts to Offer Audio Engineering Program Thanks to a Grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Ali Cultural Arts is proud to announce that they will be launching "Miss Masters: Audio Engineering at the Ali" in spring 2017. This hand-on training opportunity empowers girls for careers as audio engineers, music producers and DJs.

The launch of this program is made possible by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. The $60,000 challenge grant was awarded to Ali Cultural Arts / Pompano Beach CRA on November 28, 2016 at ceremony at the New World Center in Miami Beach. The Knight Arts Challenge funds ideas that brings South Florida together through the arts.

"We are committed to enriching our community through the arts, and this grant will allow us to launch an innovative program that combines the arts with technology," said Cherolyn Davis, Ali's director. "With Knight Foundation's support, young girls in Pompano Beach and the North Broward area will have an exciting new opportunity to excel."

The Miss Masters curriculum will be designed in partnership with Girls Make Beats, Inc. (GMB) a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Miami-Dade County. The program, offered to girls ages 7 and up, will be conducted by GMB President, Tiffany Miranda. Miranda holds Avid Certified Pro Tools "User" and "Operator Music" level certification. She has more than a decade of experience as an engineer and accomplished recording artist and producer. Her credits include working with Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, and with world class recording studios such as The Hit Factory, Circle House, Studio Center and others.

GMB's partnership with Pro Media Training provides the ability to train individuals, based on a curriculum provided by Pro Tools parent company, Avid Education. Avid Education offers a full menu of certifications, providing an industry recognized credential for both academic users and industry professionals. Participants in the "Miss Masters" program will gain preliminary training, laying the groundwork for those who wish to pursue advanced Avid Education training and certifications in the future.

For more information about the program launch, please visit http://www.aliarts.org/ or call 954-786-7876.

About Ali Cultural Arts:

Ali Cultural Arts is a platform to enrich the community through the performing and visual arts. Intimate musical performances bring the community together and visual art exhibitions engage patrons in creative dialogue as they enjoy the eclectic mix of programming. The building itself is significant, as it represents the history of the African American community in Pompano Beach, once boarding famous African American jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation:

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

*PHOTO Caption: Tiffany Miranda and students from the program.

Ali Cultural Arts is proud to announce that they will be launching "Miss Masters: Audio Engineering at the Ali" in spring 2017. This hand-on training opportunity empowers girls for careers as audio engineers, music producers and DJs.

Edupoint Launches Online Synergy Community for Partner Districts

MESA, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has launched Synergy Community, a free meeting place for 24/7 peer-to-peer support in a secure online environment. Synergy Community adds another layer to Edupoint's existing support offerings, enabling Synergy partner districts to work closely with one another anytime and anywhere to share thoughts, ideas, and solutions related to using the Synergy platform and achieving education goals.

Synergy Community users can search existing discussions, ask and answer questions, and exchange knowledge and expertise with other users based on a self-selected role or roles, including Classroom Teacher, Application Developer, and Administrator. Synergy partner districts may use Synergy Community on an ad hoc basis or may choose to build more formal personal learning networks (PLNs) within the community. Intuitive features such as the ability to favorite, rate, and follow conversations enhance the user experience.

"As a meeting place for peer-to-peer communication, Synergy Community enables users to connect with other Synergy users who have similar goals and challenges and assist one another in ways that only educators can," says Rob Wilson, President and Chief Innovation Officer for Edupoint. "We are pleased to provide this dynamic new offering and excited about the opportunities it has created for our partner districts."

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy(R) Education Platform includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) SE, a comprehensive special education data management system. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students.

More information: http://www.edupoint.com/.

Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has launched Synergy Community, a free meeting place for 24/7 peer-to-peer support in a secure online environment. Synergy Community adds another layer to Edupoint's existing support offerings, enabling Synergy partner districts to work closely with one another anytime and anywhere.

Flagstaff USD Expands Synergy Solution to Include LMS with Assessment

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. /ScoopCloud/ -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) to implement the company's LessonVUE(R) Curriculum Management and Synergy Assessment solutions and the Inspect(R) Item Bank that works seamlessly with Synergy Assessment. Synergy Assessment replaces Galileo by ATI in the northern Arizona district, which serves 10,000 students at 15 schools.

"We needed an easy-to-navigate assessment solution that would allow us to input our own district-created assessments quickly and efficiently, deliver those assessments, and store that data securely so we could access it to see student growth over time," said Dr. Robert Hagstrom, Director of Research and Assessment for FUSD. "We were already using Synergy for our student information system and gradebook, with everything fully integrated. Adding Synergy Assessment meant that tool would just 'be there' for teachers when they logged into their gradebook, and it provided the flexibility for teachers to have assessment results pushed directly to their gradebook. The ability for colleagues to share assessments, to create that collegiality and collaboration, was also attractive.

"Adding LessonVUE completes our learning management system. We can give students that digital experience they're used to, with assignments and resources together on one page that can be shared with all students across a particular grade level. We can have that blended learning model where you do have a face to face teacher, but students help themselves to resources when it's convenient for them. That's a space students are going to thrive in."

FUSD receives Synergy training, customer support, and ongoing assistance directly from Northern Arizona University's Education Technology Consortium (ETC), a cooperative arrangement between the university and nearly 70 public and charter schools.

"We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Flagstaff Unified School District through Northern Arizona University's ETC," said Bob Weathers, Founder & CEO of Edupoint. "With the LessonVUE Curriculum Management and Synergy Assessment solutions, Edupoint is providing Flagstaff the tools it needs to improve student outcomes and achievement, fully integrated with their existing SIS and gradebook. We look forward to supporting Flagstaff students' success through our continuing partnership with ETC."

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy(R) Education Platform includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) SE, a comprehensive special education data management system. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students. More information: www.Edupoint.com

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0126-edupoint-300dpi.jpg

Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) to implement the company's LessonVUE(R) Curriculum Management and Synergy Assessment solutions.

Edupoint’s Growth in Washington Continues with Bellevue School District’s Selection of Synergy

BELLEVUE, Wash. /ScoopCloud/ -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Bellevue School District, located in Seattle's largest suburb, to meet the district's student information management and gradebook needs.

Bellevue School District serves about 20,000 students from Bellevue and surrounding areas across 28 schools. The district selected Synergy Student Information System (SIS) - with Synergy's fully-integrated TeacherVUE(R) With Gradebook, and ParentVUE(R) and StudentVUE(R) portals - to be implemented in a private cloud-hosted environment.

"We pride ourselves in being on the leading edge of technology, and our sense was that partnering with Edupoint would be consistent with that," said Tom Duenwald, Director of Educational Technology for the district. "It was also important for us to have a system that has not only a strong national presence, but a state presence as well, and to know that Edupoint is serious about protecting our student and family data. We have a lot of confidence in the system, both in terms of what Synergy has to offer our end users and what it will look like with our IT department."

Edupoint's demonstrated commitment to customer-responsive innovation was also a factor in the district's decision.

"We were impressed with Edupoint's track record of continuous improvement," said Jason Golec, Bellevue's Director of Technology. "Edupoint is clearly still striving to enhance the Synergy platform to make it more user friendly, and that forward thinking carries a lot of weight."

"The Edupoint team has also been very responsive and very willing to partner with us, which was attractive from a relationship-building standpoint," said Melanie McGee, Project Manager for Bellevue. "We enlisted a wide base of users to participate in the selection process; it wasn't just IT or Curriculum. Overwhelmingly, the user groups felt that Synergy was the best solution to meet our needs."

"Bellevue was seeking a full-featured solution to align with its guiding principles, including Excellence, Accountability, Collaboration, Communication, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement, and found that Synergy best met its requirements," said Bob Weathers, Founder & CEO of Edupoint. "We are pleased to welcome Bellevue School District into the Synergy family, and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership."

The district expects to be live with its Synergy implementation for the start of the 2017-18 school year.

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy(R) Education Platform includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) SE, a comprehensive special education data management system. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students.

More information: http://www.edupoint.com/.

Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Bellevue School District, located in Seattle's largest suburb, to meet the district's student information management and gradebook needs.

Hasenin Al-khersan Named 2016 Koch Kellan Scholar

PORTLAND, Ore., April 18, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Paragon BioTeck, Inc., announced today that Hasenin Al-khersan has been named its 2016 Koch Kellan Scholar. Paragon Gives, a Paragon BioTeck initiative, awards the Koch Kellan Scholarship to an outstanding graduate medical student committed to pursuing a clinical, teaching or research career in ophthalmology.

"The underlying principle of the Koch Kellan Scholarship is to cultivate educational opportunities and success for the next generation of ophthalmic leaders," stated Patrick Witham, President & CEO of Paragon BioTeck. "An enduring tribute to the professional lives of Doctors Koch and Kellan, it is a realization of Paragon's fundamental mission to continually elevate the standard of eye care. We do this by recognizing the talents and commitments of rising doctors such as Hasenin Al-khersan."

Hasenin Al-khersan is a third-year student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. As an adolescent, Mr. Al-khersan accompanied his grandmother to her glaucoma appointments, serving as a translator; later, he deepened his ophthalmic interests through cataract and glaucoma research and volunteering as the leader of Sight Savers, an international charity providing ophthalmic care in developing nations.

Upon receipt of the award, Mr. Al-khersan remarked that "Ophthalmology has long been more than an intellectual endeavor, but also a personal passion. To be recognized in this pursuit by Paragon BioTeck is humbling. I plan to continue my work in the field with Drs. Koch and Kellan; they are true examples of the impact that I may one day hope to make."

Mr. Al-khersan will join Scholarship namesakes and other distinguished industry leaders at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting in New Orleans from May 6-8. There, he will be formally presented with the award.

About Paragon Gives and the Koch Kellan Scholarship:

Paragon Gives, a Paragon BioTeck, Inc., initiative, supports a number of charities and organizations, including those within the biotechnology and health care arena. The initiative also works with individuals and organizations that have made a positive impact on our customers, vendors, investors and industry as a whole.

The Koch Kellan Scholarship affirms Paragon's commitment to elevating the standard of eye care and enhancing patient quality of life. It was first awarded to Captain Edward Woodward of the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, whose compelling personal connection to the field made him the ideal inaugural recipient.

About Paragon BioTeck, Inc.:

Paragon BioTeck, Inc., is a privately held pharmaceutical and medical device company specializing in the development and commercialization of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, devices and therapies. Paragon BioTeck's portfolio of products is designed to protect and preserve eyesight and deliver comfort to the eyes.

For more information about Paragon BioTeck, please visit http://www.paragonbioteck.com/.

Join the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ParagonBioTeck/ and on Twitter at @ParagonBioTeck.

* PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0418-hasenin-al-khersan-300dpi.jpg

* LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0418-paragonbio-300dpi.jpg

MEDIA CONTACT:
Michael Elofer
484-620-6167
mike@pascalecommunications.com

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/hasenin-al-khersan-named-2016-koch-kellan-scholar-2016-0418-02.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Paragon BioTeck, Inc. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

LIBERTY Dental Plan Advances Innovative Approach to Oral Health By Empowering Physicians to Provide Fluoride Varnish

IRVINE, Calif., March 22, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- LIBERTY Dental Plan (LIBERTY) continues to innovate and be a champion for whole health by partnering with the Center for Oral Health and medical providers to create a program that will help increase the number of children receiving fluoride varnish - a critical treatment that helps prevent further dental issues later in life.

This Sacramento based program begins with a Continuing Medical Education (CME) training of physicians on how to apply the fluoride varnish. The first, of what is expected to be many more, training takes place today, March 22, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

This is believed to be the first time a Geographic Managed Care (GMC) Dental Plan has fully funded this type of program to address children's lack of oral health checkups - and treatment. LIBERTY Dental Plan has partnered with the Center for Oral Health and SynerMed, a leading Managed Service Organization, for this first training. Ultimately, the training schedule will be further developed with the goal of positively impacting 1,000 - 2,000 children in the first year.

"The future is now with trainings like these. Oral health is a vital part of whole health and Physicians will certainly benefit from the support of oral health experts to help respond to the needs of children's dental health, and to refer children to dentists and specialists who understand each family's whole health issues. We are proud to lead these collaborative relationships to improve the health of children," said Dr. Amir Neshat, LIBERTY's CEO and Founder.

By empowering physicians and pediatricians, LIBERTY Dental Plan is raising the bar for oral health through collaboration, innovation and patient-centered care.

About LIBERTY Dental Plan:

LIBERTY Dental Plan specializes in commercial and government sponsored dental programs, providing services to managed care organizations, state governments, labor unions, large group employers, municipalities, and individuals. With a vast majority of its membership enrolled in government sponsored programs, LIBERTY is recognized as a specialist in administering dental care for Medicaid, SCHIP and Medicare beneficiaries. LIBERTY has a proven record of successfully increasing the utilization of quality dental care for multiple programs, ensuring that a larger portion of premiums are appropriated directly to care.

LIBERTY Dental Plan is also recognized as an industry leader in the area of Dental Disease Management. A member of The Care Continuum Alliance (carecontinuum.org), LIBERTY shares their commitment to promote high quality standards for and definitions of key components of wellness, disease, case management where appropriate, and care coordination programs as well as support services and materials.

More information: http://www.LIBERTYDentalPlan.com/.

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Media Contact:
Ara Najarian
ara@i-mmarketing.com
(323) 353-4062

Twitter: @LIBERTY_Dental @synermedpr @Center4OralHlth

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/liberty-dental-plan-advances-innovative-approach-to-oral-health-by-empowering-physicians-to-provide-fluoride-varnish-2016-0322-06.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE LIBERTY Dental Plan :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Platinum Data Executive Craig Zielazny Named to Board of Advisors for Wittenberg University’s New Master of Science in Analytics Program

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., March 22, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Platinum Data Solutions, a provider of valuation data and analytics solutions, has announced that Craig Zielazny, the company's senior vice president of valuation analytics, has been named to the Board of Advisors for Springfield, Ohio-based Wittenberg University's new Master of Science in Analytics program. The Board of Advisors is charged with collaborating to create the department's curricula and courses, and could include guest lecturing. The inaugural semester for Wittenberg University's Master of Science in Analytics program begins in August 2016.

According to program coordinator Jana Buck, the Master of Science in Analytics program seeks to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge base that includes both analytics and management.

"Today's managers need to know enough about analytics to enable them to communicate effectively with analysts," said Buck. "In addition, analysts who want to be in management need skills beyond the nuts-and-bolts knowledge that got them to this point. Success in management depends on things like knowledge and skills in managing people, understanding roles within an organization, and big-picture thinking. The goal of the Analytics Program is to arm our graduates with a skillset that covers these two critical facets."

Zielazny, a noted lecturer who has held managerial and executive level roles in mortgage valuation analytics for over a decade, hopes his knowledge and passion for valuation analytics will help to cultivate interest in the residential real estate valuation segment among the program's students and new graduates.

"The valuation segment needs new recruits and it also needs deeper analytics," he said. "The truth is, we're sitting on a practically endless supply of both. The more we embrace advanced analytics in the residential valuation space, the safer mortgage and collateral-based transactions will become, and the easier it will be to attract the next generation of high quality analysts and managers."

Zielazny oversees the valuation analytics division of Platinum Data, which is recognized by the top 15 AVM providers for generating the industry's highest quality valuation data, and pioneering the most rigorous AVM testing and validation program in the industry.

Platinum Data's online platform and analytical tools are used to protect the country's top 10 mortgage lenders, and are integrated with nine of the top 10 appraisal management systems.

ABOUT PLATINUM DATA SOLUTIONS:

Platinum Data Solutions provides valuation data and analytics technologies that help mortgage lenders, servicers, investors, AMCs and their vendors value collateral, identify potential collateral weaknesses and manage collateral risk. The company's online platform and analytical tools protect the country's top 10 mortgage lenders and help hundreds of companies to perform due diligence and prevent collateral-based loss. Each year, Platinum Data protects billions of dollars in assets across the U.S. against collateral-based non-compliance, buybacks and other risks. The company's RealView system pioneered computer-assisted appraisal underwriting. Its valuation analytics channel provides the industry's only turnkey services that assure the responsible use of AVMs. Platinum Data Solutions is based in Aliso Viejo, California and was founded in 2002.

For more information, visit http://www.platdata.com/, follow @Platinum_Data or email info@PlatinumData.com.

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/platinum-data-executive-craig-zielazny-named-to-board-of-advisors-for-wittenberg-university-s-new-master-of-science-in-analytics-program-2016-0322-05.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Platinum Data Solutions :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Mr Cabinet Care Opens Doors to Anaheim High School Students

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 18, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Students at an Anaheim High School received a hands-on chance to learn the basics of business, community leadership, and the lost art of woodworking with local kitchen-and-bath remodeling company Mr Cabinet Care.

Shortly after being voted the "Best Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Company" by Orange County Register readers for the ninth year running, as part of the paper's annual "People's Choice" awards, Mr Cabinet Care met with Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait in October of last year. Mayor Tait extended an invitation to the company to help promote benevolence and goodwill locally, through participation in Anaheim's own "Million Acts of Kindness" campaign.

The Million Acts of Kindness initiative was launched in 2013 as a joint effort between Mayor Tait and the Anaheim City School District. Inspiration for this effort came from "Kindness Week," a Hillsborough Elementary School program started by local residents Edward and Karine Jaievsky in memory of their 6-year-old daughter Natasha.

As contributors to the campaign, Mr Cabinet Care invited nine Kennedy High School students to spend the day learning and building connections at the company's Anaheim factory and showroom. Students received practical exposure to the core principles of entrepreneurship, interior design, and community leadership. Company CEO Sid Jaridly and even city official, Mishal Montgomery were present to meet the participants.

"Mr Cabinet Care prides itself not only on providing unparalleled quality and service to Anaheim and OC residents, but also in giving back to the community that's supported us for nearly three decades," says Sid Jaridly, Co-Owner and CEO of Mr Cabinet Care.

Established in 1987, The Original Mr. Cabinet Care has become one of the largest and most trusted kitchen remodeling companies in Southern California. The company specializes in kitchen remodeling as well as cabinet refacing. The family owned company operates out of a 24,000 square foot factory and showroom in Anaheim, California.

For nearly three decades, The Original Mr. Cabinet Care team has focused their efforts on becoming not the biggest, but the best in their industry. They have been voted the #1 kitchen remodeling company in their industry and the only 9-time winner of the People's Choice awards. Mr. Cabinet Care strives to best serve each client and not only meet their needs, but provide them with a stunning kitchen they will love for many years to come!

To learn more, visit http://www.mrcabinetcare.com/.

* PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0318-groupphoto-300dpi.jpg

* Caption: Group photo with city officials.

MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
Samantha Schrader
Mr Cabinet Care
samantha@mrcabinetcare.com
714-961-1900

Twitter: @MrCabinetCareOC

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/mr-cabinet-care-opens-doors-to-anaheim-high-school-students-2016-0318-01.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Mr Cabinet Care :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Meoded Expands Decorative Wall Techniques Classes in 2016

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 19, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- 40 creative painting artisans attended the New Decorative Wall Techniques for 2016 Class at Meoded Paint and Plaster at the showroom in Hollywood on February 18. Meoded Classes have been expanded this year because of the high demand for unique finishes from interior designers, home and business owners.

Social media sites such as Houzz and Dwell have brought client expectations higher because they are able to research ideas on the internet and compare the skills of craftsman everywhere in the world. This continuous evaluation has prompted the need for advanced techniques which can only be achieved through on-going education.

Meoded offers training in the areas of faux finishing, Venetian plaster, wood graining, faux marble, gliding, stenciling and other techniques that are unmatched in the industry. They work with professionals to show them what's new in the decorative wall marketplace and how to use new the materials as well as showing some tried and true techniques. With these creative tools, each and every class member can learn how to become a more sought after professional.

"Since there are so many new and interesting finishes, we decided to offer a more targeted approach to our clients," stated Vladimir Charaschevski, manager at Meoded. "Whether its metallic paints, polished, stenciled concrete, Tuscan plaster techniques-the list goes on. We offer classes for painters, drywall and muralists who have a set of issues that we address in the paint and construction classes. We also offer classes for interior designers, architects and hospitality designers so that we can address their concerns and questions. Each class is creatively different and that's what keeps people coming back because pros never know what they are going to need until they are on the job. For example, concrete has expanded as a trend because the material is so versatile."

Meoded has been the secret of top designers in the entertainment for over 40 years and is considered to be the most unique manufacturer of Zero VOC lime based Venetian plasters and decorative paints in the United States. They offer a full spectrum of decorative wall finishes, giving professionals the ability to specify any texture, such as natural, rough stone effects, and in any color in your imagination. These Zero VOC lime based Venetian plasters and Low VOC decorative paints, metallic finishes, glazes, waxes, and sealers, can be incorporated into any LEED projects.

Because Meoded products are domestically produced, there are no product shortages and no shipping delays. The company prides itself on being sustainable enterprise in every way. Its resources and manufacturing are done within the Los Angeles area which adds a boost to the local economy.

Since there are so many finishes to learn and colors to choose from, many professionals come by the store to practice in the Meoded practice space or to ask questions based upon the needs of their clients so that they can get the perfect design solution to whatever project they are working on.

The showroom has moved locations from Glendale to 6314 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. The Meoded team is revamping the upstairs spaces to include a virtual office spaces. New spaces will be available early this year for professional use.

Classes are being scheduled for March. To sign up for classes or to find out more about Meoded visit http://meodedstore.com/ .

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NEWS SOURCE Meoded Paint and Plaster :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Edupoint Expands Synergy Assessment with Technology Enhanced Item Support

MESA, Ariz., Jan. 27, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, a leading student information and learning management solutions provider for the K-12 market, now supports technology enhanced items in Synergy(R) Assessment, part of the Synergy(R) Learning Management System. The full support of technology enhanced items in Synergy Assessment enables students to take pre-assessments and benchmark assessments using the same kind of item types that appear on high-stakes tests such as the PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments.

Synergy Assessment enables educators to build, manage, and deliver formative and summative assessments that include the more complex tasks that can assess the skills needed in these next-generation assessments. Teachers can schedule and launch assessments right from their gradebooks and view results to make informed decisions in support of differentiated instruction or interventions. Students can take assessments on paper or online in the StudentVUE(R) web portal using computers, iPads or any hand-held device.

The INSPECT(R) Item Bank and Assessment Suite, available through Edupoint's partnership with Key Data Systems, offers educators a formative assessment item bank and suite of over 300 pre-built assessments that provide specific feedback to teachers so they can quickly inform instruction to improve student learning outcomes. Supported technology-enhanced item types include Constructed Response, Evidence-Based Selected-Response (EBSR), Graphic Gap Match, Hot Spot, Hot Text, Inline Choice, Matching, Multi-Part, Multiple Choice, Multiple Select, Number Line, Select Point, and Text Entry.

"Technology enhanced item support within Synergy Assessment showcases our commitment to continuously enhance our Synergy LMS offerings," says Rob Wilson, Edupoint's President and Chief Innovation Officer. "Educators are able to apply real-time results from a full array of assessment types in order to personalize instruction, gain deeper insight into student learning, and help improve teaching district-wide. The full integration between the SIS and LMS solutions within Synergy is proving to be by far the greatest benefit to our users. We are excited to see the rapid adoption of our LMS solutions across our customer base."

Edupoint's Synergy(R) Education Platform unites essential K-12 solutions that are typically separate - student information, learning and assessment, special education management, and more - in one fully-integrated solution that puts an end to data integration complexities and consistency issues. Designed with a highly customizable framework to meet a district's individual needs, the Synergy Education Platform provides an all-encompassing solution for learning and curriculum management, assessment analytics, online registration, role-based mobile applications, IEP compliance and the industry's richest Student Information System (SIS) feature set. Thousands of schools across the country use the Synergy Education Platform to manage more than 3 million students.

About Edupoint Educational Systems:

For more than thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well designed, technologically advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The Synergy(R) Education Platform is a suite of integrated solutions that includes Synergy(R) SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy(R) LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy(R) Special Education, a comprehensive special education data management system. More than a data management tool, Synergy is a collaborative environment that facilitates improved communication between educators, administrators, parents and students resulting in better instructional decisions at all levels.

To learn why thousands of schools across the country use the Synergy Education Platform to manage more than 3.25 million students, visit http://www.Edupoint.com/.

* LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0126-edupoint-300dpi.jpg

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/edupoint-expands-synergy-assessment-with-technology-enhanced-item-support-2016-0127-02.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Edupoint Educational Systems :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Delta Care Rx Sponsors Innovative Hospice Nurse Intern Program of Four Seasons Compassion for Life

FLAT ROCK, N.C., Jan. 12, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- A shared commitment to the greater good and a growing need for trained hospice professionals led Delta Care Rx, a nationally known hospice pharmaceutical provider, to partner with Four Seasons Compassion For Life in the recent development and implementation of an innovative 12-week "Hospice Nurse Internship Program."

The forward-looking collaboration introduces nurse graduates to the day-to-day operations of Four Seasons' nationally recognized hospice care and nurse leadership case management, much in the way Delta Care Rx offers on and off-campus training to pharmacists.

"Nurses and pharmacists work closely from day to day to manage the unique needs of hospice patients," says Drew Mihalyo, president and chief operating officer at Delta Care Rx. "In hospice, the delivery of care can be quite different from that of other patient settings."

Educating the next generation of nurses while meeting anticipated shortfalls for trained hospice caregivers is a priority, says Derek Groves, vice president of sustainable development for Four Seasons Compassion for Life.

"The internship is a great way to attract promising young nurse leaders, show them what we do, and introduce them to the high quality of hospice care that Four Seasons provides," he says. "We are excited about the results made possible by Delta Care Rx's sponsorship."

The grant from partner Delta Care Rx has made it possible to introduce hospice as a specialty to promising new graduates, says Renee Barnwell, a registered nurse and Four Seasons director of professional development.

"Prior to graduation, many students in both pharmacy and nursing have infrequently experienced training specific to the needs of hospice or palliative care patients," says Mihalyo.

To meet this need, the Four Seasons nurse intern training initiative includes classroom studies, active learning, and hands-on patient care to foster the competence and independence needed for quality hospice patient care, says Barnwell.

"Young nurses breathe new life into the profession," she says. "If we can introduce them to hospice and end of life care, the benefit is that we can get them into the specialty earlier in their careers."

Increasing the numbers of exceptional nurses is particularly important at the present time, she explains. The hospice industry includes an aging work force, with an average age for nurses well into their 40s, and significant numbers reaching retirement.

"New graduates bring intense energy to an organization. If you could bottle it, we'd be rich: passion for learning, openness to learning new things, and excitement about nursing," Barnwell says.

As the interns complete the 12 week program, they transition into permanent positions as nurse case managers ready to manage patient care plans.

"We've been careful to select nurses with a new passion for end of life care who want to spend a career within the field," she says. "The nurse interns chosen for the program demonstrated exceptional nursing skills, and have the communications abilities to elicit patient goals and collaboratively develop plans of care."

The "hospice heart" is unmistakable, she says.

"We look for that special quality in nurses that draws them to hospice," says Barnwell. "We encourage them as leaders, and work to ensure their future success."

About Delta Care Rx:

Delta Care Rx - http://www.deltacarerx.com/ - transforms and improves the hospice pharmacy industry through business transparency, innovation, extreme customer service, and the maintenance of vital community-pharmacy relationships. As a pharmacist owned, privately held provider, Delta Care Rx sets the industry benchmark for pharmacy benefit management, on-demand pharmacist services, and hospice tailored electronic prescribing.

About Four Seasons Compassion For Life:

Four Seasons Compassion for Life - https://www.fourseasonscfl.org/ - is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a dedicated team of health care professionals, social workers, spiritual care professionals and volunteers deeply committed to its mission of "Co-Creating the Care Experience." Nationally known for its leadership in innovative, quality hospice and palliative care services, and serving western North Carolina, the agency is a former Circle of Life award recipient from the American Medical Association.

* PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0112-fourseasrx-300dpi.jpg

* Photo Caption: (L-R) Renee Barnwell, director of professional development, Stacie Raasch, Serena Lowry, clinical nurse educator, and Ryan Frederick reflect and debrief.

Twitter: @fscfl #hospice #palliativecare

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/delta-care-rx-sponsors-innovative-hospice-nurse-intern-program-of-four-seasons-compassion-for-life-2016-0112-02.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Four Seasons Compassion For Life :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Clarke Schools’ Career Academy Focuses Students on Future Success

OSCEOLA, Iowa, Dec. 18, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Clarke Community Schools in Osceola, Iowa is developing a Career Academy that will provide a specialized course pathway for career-minded students. Aligned with Governor Branstad's new Future Ready Iowa initiative, this program is the genesis of Clarke's new curriculum director Jean Bahls and Bill Trickey of Clarke County Development Corporation. In recent weeks, the team kicked off meetings with local industry leaders to get their input on this unique education program.

The Career Academy will collaborate with local businesses to help develop a resource pool of young people in our community who will have the skills and knowledge necessary to be career-ready right out of high school. By establishing a career pathway early on, the Career Academy hopes to help lay out a sequence of courses and real-world experiences for kids as early as 8th grade, to get them ready to begin a career and not just get a "job" right out of school.

Through a curriculum that combines classroom time with immersion on the job site, students can get a true feel of all the different factors that go into keeping a business thriving. Industry experiences can be gained through guest speakers, internships, job shadowing or simply touring the facility, giving students the opportunity to ask questions and see first-hand the skills needed to be successful in a variety of career paths.

"I think the idea is fantastic. This program will allow for real-life scenarios to demonstrate the importance of learning concepts that incorporate math, physics and even the arts," said Joe Greving of Countryside Tank Company in Osceola. "I look at a picture of one of our trailers and think about all the components that went into making it. I would use that as an example for real life application to show them why it's important they're learning what they're learning in school and I think they'll maybe become better students because of it."

During her recent town hall meeting, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds spoke about the importance of Future Ready Iowa.

"An initiative that we just launched a few weeks ago is 'Future Ready Iowa,' and it's a collaborative effort with schools, community colleges and business and industry to create job-training programs," she said. "We really want to make it a seamless pipeline, that we can work with students so they can see the various jobs available in communities all across the state of Iowa, what each career pathway looks like, the skills needed for each, and then align them with the local businesses that are ready to hire them immediately."

Clarke Community Schools hopes to launch their Career Academy by the 2017-18 school year. They will shape the curriculum to ensure young people are able to integrate their core classes such as math and science with real-world skills needed to be successful in a long-term career.

"A component, for sure, would be a class on leadership and other 'soft' skills such as communication, personal habits and interpersonal proficiencies that they may not necessarily know," said Jean Bahls at her recent meeting with Countryside Tank Company. "We want to give them usable skills while they're still in high school, help them earn training certificates, college credits, whatever is needed to take them down their particular pathway. We want to help them see that there are great opportunities available and they don't automatically have to go to a four-year college to have a good career, although some pathways may require that. There are positive role models in their own community who can show them what is needed in the industry for they have an interest and an aptitude for, and we want to facilitate that partnership."

For more information, contact Jean Bahls, Curriculum Director, Clarke Community Schools, 800 N Jackson Street, Osceola, IA 50213; phone: 641-342-6505

Or contact Bill Trickey, Executive Director, Clarke County Development Corporation, 115 East Washington Osceola, IA 50213; phone: 641-342-2944, Fax: 641-342-6352, WEB: http://ClarkeCountyIowa.com/ or email: info@clarkecountyiowa.com

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/15-1218-career-acadamy-300dpi.jpg

*PHOTO Caption: Joe Greving of Countryside Tank Companies talks about the manufacturing processes students would be exposed to through the Career Academy.

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/clarke-schools-career-academy-focuses-students-on-future-success-2015-1218-03.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Clarke Community Schools :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Students Partner with NGOs to build Successful Social Enterprises in Developing World

LONDON, U.K., Nov. 17, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- A cooperative effort between NGOs and students from Cambridge and elsewhere is revolutionizing how Fair Trade social enterprises in the Global South can succeed by efficiently reaching foreign markets. According to Directors Savithri Machiraju and Amy Chang, the Agenda for Sustainable Development, in cooperation with Friends Beyond Borders and the Adelina Foundation, partners with students and local companies in poorer nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to modernize their businesses with social media and other tools so that knowledge of their products can reach foreign consumers, and the products themselves can be purchased and shipped in a timely manner.

"Before now, the idea that these small firms could compete with established companies in the industrialized world was ludicrous," said Chang. "They simply did not have the resources to provide reliable pay platforms, dependable rapid shipping, and quality control." But the formulae ASD has devised combine the power of modern online retail platforms like Amazon and Alibaba with social media and modern marketing to allow these companies to compete on the global stage.

Partner Friends Beyond Borders even guarantees satisfaction with each purchase from qualified vendors, to eliminate any anxiety that the customer will lose money. "The idea is that consumers in the West can feel as secure purchasing things from these family-owned enterprises in the third world as they would if they bought them from Amazon, Aliexpress, or eBay," Machiraju says.

The formulae Cambridge students employ are designed so that one student can efficiently modernize a given social enterprise in about three hours. "Students are quite facile with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, Amazon, Alibaba, and Pinterest. Using our formula, they quickly build a web and social media presence for each company that allows it to dramatically increase its presence in the online retail world," Chang says.

Why three hours? "Just as we want to help build a successful future for each enterprise, we want students to feel empowered," says CTO Director Nigel Applewhite. "Since students are incredibly busy, we want them to know that in a few short hours, employing skills they use every day in the classroom, they can make a major impact on a small family business in a historically impoverished place that will last a long time, and can serve as a template for other companies in the same country. So we designed a formula that is like a recipe or a protocol that combines best practices in a step-by-step fashion. Create a social media page, embed a PayPal button, issue a press release, etc."

As long as a student is working on a particular project, he or she is the chairperson for that country. When the project is finished, the student hands off the title to a fellow student, or, if he or she is extraordinarily ambitious, begins a similar project in the same country. That way the largest possible number of small enterprises in each country are transformed.

Enterprises selected for the program must make products or provide services which align with the UN's recently announced 2030 Sustainability Goals. Goods produced cannot contain toxic substances, pollute the environment, contribute to Global Warming, derive from illegitimate sources, or be made with child or slave labor.

For more information contact friendsbeyondborders@gmail.com or agenda4sustainabledevelopment@gmail.com

Website: http://agendaforsustainabledevelopment.net/.

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/students-partner-with-ngos-to-build-successful-social-enterprises-in-developing-world-2015-1117-07.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Friends Beyond Borders :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.